Eye Bag Surgery Blepharoplasty

Eye Bag Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

They say that the eyes are the gateway to the soul! As we age the eyes themselves change little in appearance however the area around the eyes change quite considerably with puffiness, excess skin and wrinkles which are commonly referred to as eye bags and crows feet.

These factors combined result in a tired appearance and are due to age related changes in the anatomy to the area.

Eye Bags

With eye bags there are two main factors, these include:

Movement or herniation of fat, which normally cushions the eyeball. This fat instead of cushioning the eyeball, in its socket, bulges forward into the area below the eye giving the appearance of puffiness. The reason for the movement of fat is weakness in the septum that is meant to keep the fat in place and recession of the bony edge of the orbit.

Redundancy and laxity of the muscle that sits around the eye called the orbicularis occuli muscle also results in puffiness as well as giving the impression of extra skin in the area of both upper and lower eyelids.

Eye bag Surgery also known as blepharoplasty can be performed either to the upper and lower eyelid area and I use a combination of techniques to achieve a more lasting youthful look. These include removal of skin, tightening of the orbicularis occuli muscle, removal of fat, tightening of the septum. The upper and lower eyelids can be operated on separately if only one area is off concern or together if both areas require treatment.

Eye bag Surgery is either performed with the patient awake i.e. under local anaesthetic with numbing injections or with the patient asleep i.e. under general anaesthetic and the patient guides this choice. In a majority of cases the procedures are performed as a day case. Post operatively very few patients complain of much pain. There will be bruising in the operated area due to the skin being thin around the eyes but this commonly settles within 10 days.

Complications to be aware of include:

A scar – these are well hidden as in the pictures of my previous patients but can sometimes be noticeable if the scar become lumpy however this lumpiness is only temporary

Watery eye/ dry eyes – some patients complain of these symptoms for a few weeks after surgery

Infection – this is a risk with any surgery but is very low

Overcorrection – this can result in the eye appearing pulled down and unsightly and this is usually related to excess skin removal as a consequence it is better to under correct to prevent overcorrection

Recurrence – as with all cosmetic surgery the clock is not stopped but merely turned back and once turned back it continues ticking so the bags will recur but hopefully it will be many years before you see them again.

Crows Feet

Crows feet also commonly known as laughter lines are another change commonly noticed around the eye area as we age. This is related to a combination of decreased skin tone and subconscious over activity of the orbicularis muscle at the outer edge of the eye.

Botox is very effective at markedly improving crow’s feet with each treatment lasting 3-4 months